Popstipendium

Since 2018, the Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds has annually awarded the Pop Stipendium to promising pop artists or bands in order to develop their (inter)national career. Every year, three artists are nominated of which one will eventually win the cash prize of €10.000. Previous winners are: Jacco Gardner (2018) and Thomas Azier (2019).

On January 18, 2020, a winner has been chosen for the Cultuurfonds Popstipendium 2020. This year, again, there was a choice of three artists. This year’s nominees were Altin Gün, Judy Blank and Weval.

Winner 2020

Judy Blank is the winner of the Cultuur Fonds Pop Stipendium 2020. Blank was awarded the stipend during ESNS20 in Groningen by jury members Imke Loeffen and Edwin van Andel.

Jury report“Judy Blank has shown the courage to trade her piano for a guitar, travel to America and follow her heart. Now again she shows courage by pushing the boundaries of the genre that has embraced her. The jury believes in her talent and perseverance and hopes that the Cultuurfonds can give the final push to realize her dream-grounding album in the way it envisages ”, the jury said.

About Judy BlankTwo years ago, Judy Blank (1995) went to Nashville, a strange city for her, to record a handful of songs with her last savings. That resulted in the album “Morning Sun” with which she quickly conquered not only the Netherlands, but also the rest of Europe and America. She played at major festivals such as Noorderslag and South by Southwest and was the first Dutch artist to be invited to play at AmericanaFest in Nashville, the largest festival in the genre.

Yet Blank does not limit herself to one style, she mixes up all the influences until she has grasped the essence of the song. In the future plans that we have received, she continues that line. For example, she collaborates with indie rock producer Patrick Damphier for writing and recording a new album, a crossover of indie and americana. A new leap into the deep, which the jury is looking forward to with admiration.